Medal of Honor 2025: Five heroes of the common good honored!

Medal of Honor 2025: Five heroes of the common good honored!

Great honor for outstanding commitment: At the 2025 summer festival, five personalities from the Potsdam-Mittelmark district were awarded the Medal of Honor. This medal, the highest award for services to the common good in the region, was ceremoniously presented by the chairwoman of the district council, Kathrin Heilmann, and the district administrator, Marko Köhler. Among those honored were those who worked together and left a lasting impression with their work.

The prize winners are: Prof. Dr. Hanno Schmitt, Reimar Wiefel, Dr. Elke Seidel, Dr. Hans-Joachim Linthe and Dr. Gabriele Bergner. The latter could not be present for personal reasons; The award was received by laudator Thomas Hemmerling. The Medal of Honor not only recognizes the individual commitment of these personalities, but also sets an example for the importance of social responsibility in the community - a topic that is very important today.

Medal of Honor for special services

The awarding of the Medal of Honor was introduced in 2023 and follows special guidelines from the district council. “The Medal of Honor is the district’s highest award and recognizes people who demonstrate special achievements or long-standing commitment to the common good,” emphasizes Dr. Steven Koch, the district's first alderman. Particularly pleasing: Citizens are also invited to submit suggestions for future award winners by August 31, 2023. The ideas can be submitted to department directors or mayors, always with a meaningful justification.

The new procedure for submitting proposals makes it easier for citizens to bring their fellow human beings and their commitment into the public eye. A fillable form is available on the county's official website to facilitate this process. The award ceremony for the newly awarded candidates will take place on December 6, 2023 in Bad Belzig during a meeting of the district council, which is a nice gesture for community cohesion.

A role model for everyone

The award is intended not only to recognize individual contributions, but also to encourage people to strengthen social commitment. The honored personalities represent all those who work tirelessly for the well-being of the district and its citizens. The Medal of Honor, consisting of 925 silver, is presented together with an honorary pin and an official certificate. These documents are not only personal recognition, but also a call to others to get actively involved.

The hope remains that many more citizens will follow the example of subsequent award winners who want to bring about positive change in their surroundings. You can find information and details about the award ceremony at the following links: Potsdam-Mittelmark, Bork heath, and Werder on the Havel.